Give Thanks Day 21: The Finale

Today I am thankful for the bountiful blessings that fill my life.  Now, I am writing this much later than the actual day before Thanksgiving (practically a week later, to be truthful) namely because I am terrible at daily post series.  Lesson learned.  The only reason I even mentioned that little factoid is a Tweet I came across the other day.  While I could have faked psychic abilities and explained how I saw through my inner eye, past the veil and into the future to pluck this Tweet off my feed, I didn't.  This Tweet pretty much sums my feelings up:  

"Each year 2,184,000 people die from lack of clean water, 90% of these deaths are kids under five. our problems really are minimal."

I can not take credit for this Tweet.  I am ashamed to say that I was complaining about some ignat in a Yukon who nearly pancaked me on the highway that day while other people were being more productive with their social media.  Nevertheless, what a way to put things in perspective.  This reminds me of the miniature earth model.





The fact that I am a Caucasian, American, Christian, female, who attends college puts me in a minuscule percentage of the World's population.  There is a world of people beyond my socio-economic class and they make up the majority, not me.  How sobering.


As tomorrow (work with me and let me pretend I'm actually writing this the same day the post is on) kicks off the "holiday season" I want to wrap up my Give Thanks series with a big old warm and fuzzy appreciation for all of the blessings in my life.  I am guilty of being self-centered and self-pitying, but I know that I have been given an immense blessing just by being me.  I don't want to take this for granted. Moving forward, I want to spend less time worrying about the things that don't matter and more time appreciating what I have: an amazing system of friends and family, amazing opportunities right at my finger tips, and altogether a safe, enriched environment.


So there it is, 21 days of Giving Thanks.  I affirm what I wrote on my kick-off post for this series:

We should really be thankful at all times for what we are blessed with, not just at special occasions.  The twice a year thankful heart doesn't make for a happy person, if you ask me.  No, I just really feel like I want to do this.  No implications attached.

With that being said, here's to giving thanks.  Here's to staying focused on what really matters.  Here's to being thankful for all the blessings that life has to offer.  They're the stuff that make life worth living. 

Hear hear!  A very blessed Christmas season to you and yours.  


Cheers,


RF

Give Thanks Day 20: Authors

Today I am thankful for those brilliant souls known as authors.  Sure there's some mediocre ones out there, and others that probably should never have been published (I am not saying a word...), but amidst the duds there are quite a few gems.  


My top 6 gems are:


1. Edgar Allan Poe:  This guy really had a crappy life, and the opiates didn't make the situation better, but he was a heck of an amazing writer (even if he was zonked half of the time).  


2. Abraham Lincoln: I have to give this guy props.  Not only was he a pretty ballsy politician, I admire his simplicity.  He reminds me of my angel Grandpa E, whose motto always was "If you can say it in simpler words, do it.  No one gives a damn about your big words if they can't understand them." Brevity was also a winner in Grandpa's book.  Well, good ole' Abe really hit that Gettysburg address out of the park (er, cemetery).  The best part was him not even realizing how amazing his little speech really was.  History really didn't engrave for all eternity the speech from the first guy who spoke that day; what was it  something around two hours in length?  Then Abe gets up there and in literally one paragraph and a long sentence, he immortalized his words.  Talk about keeping it short and sweet and to the point.  Kudos, Abe.  


3.  Lewis Carroll:  I adore Alice in Wonderland.  A. d. o. r. e.  Point made?  I think so.  This guy just gets an automatic win and a pat on the back for contributing such an amazing piece of literature to the world.  Oh and he also kind of sort of is the reason Alice is on my baby name list.  


4.  Ray Bradbury: Not only is Bradbury a fantastic author in his own right, he managed to reference Poe without leeching his style.  I generally detest on principle rewrites; I'm a stickler for the original.  Boy howdy did Bradbury give me an exception.  Exhibit A: Usher II of Bradbury's Martian Chronicles.  Simply splendid.  He recaptured the spirit of Poe's original The Fall of the House of Usher while offering a completely new story ripe with all sorts of great Easter egg references for those Poe fanatics out there (crazy people, I tell you).  Best line ever:  

"Garrett," said Stendahl, "do you know why I've done this to you?  Because you burned Mr. Poe's books without really reading them.  You took other people's advice that they needed burning.  Otherwise you'd have realized what I was going to do to you when we came down here a moment ago.  Ignorance is fatal, Mr. Garrett."

5.  J.K. Rowling:  She brought us Harry Potter, and butter beer (okay, I've never tried the stuff, but it's the principle of the matter), and nitwit, blubber, oddment, and tweak.  I really do think this speaks for itself.  This woman has pizazz and one heck of a noggin.  I simply could not get enough of the HP series that once I read the American edition a good dozen times each, I procured for myself a set of the UK edition.  Go ahead and slap that D on my forehead now, I don't care.  I have jumpers and moustaches and motorbikes and pyjamas and the Philosopher's Stone, so pfft!


6.  John Marsden:  Last but not least the man responsible for the fantastic books that comprise the Tomorrow When The War Began series.  Simply put, I'm a fan.  An avid one at that.  


I'm thankful for all the good things in my life and literature just happens to be one of them.  I'm thankful for the authors who have honored the world by sharing their minds.

2 days to Turkey Day!


Cheers!

Give Thanks Day 19: Women Who Kick(ed) Butt

I look up to strong people who aren't afraid to be who they, or do so in spite of their fear as the case may often be.  As a woman, I can't help that I especially look up to other women who accomplish this.  The archaic notion that women are to be completely subservient to men is bull shit, pardon the language.  If my only purpose in life is to pleasure men and make babies, then I would be a uterus with legs.  That's it.  I wouldn't have a heart or a brain.  Alas, I have both.


Today I am thankful for women who stand up for what they believe in.  I am thankful for women, like these who, in spite of adverse and often hostile situations, did not back down from what they believed.  These women lost their lives in the process. 


Woman Who Kicked Butt: Minerva Mirabal

Patria, Dedé, and Minerva Mirabal

Until recently, I had never heard of the Mirabal sisters, a.k.a. "Los Mariposas" or the Butterflies from the Dominican Republic.  Patria, Dedé, Minerva, and Maté Maribal opposed Rafael Trujillo, a despotic dictator who ruled the DR from 1931 until his assassination in 1960.  Minerva was considered to be the leader of the sisters.  Three of the women, Minerva, Patria, and Maté were executed for their part in resisting Trujillo.  I really wish I could go on about them.  These women were amazing.  The surviving sister, Dedé, has dedicated her life to telling her sisters' story.  Michelle Rodriguez (whom I have not once mentioned...) starred in the recent film Trópico de Sangre which chronicled the lives of the Mirabal family and their resistance against Trujillo.  

While I highly recommend this film, I must warn that it is rated R and for good reason.  This is not one for family night, folks.  But that doesn't mean it shouldn't be seen.  

Woman Who Kicked Butt: Sophie Scholl

Sophie Scholl

Sophie and Hans Scholl, siblings, were leaders of the White Rose, a resistance group in Germany during WWII.  They opposed the Nazi regime and were eventually caught distributing anti-Nazi materials at the University of Munich.  They were convicted of high treason and sentenced to death.  Instead of being granted the 90 day period between conviction and execution as mandated by German law at the time, the Scholls and one of their comrades were only given a few hours.  All three were executed by guillotine on February 22, 1943.  


Sophie's final words were: "How can we expect righteousness to prevail when there is hardly anyone willing to give himself up individually to a righteous cause. Such a fine, sunny day, and I have to go, but what does my death matter, if through us thousands of people are awakened and stirred to action?"


The film Sophie Scholl: The Final Days is also excellent, a must-see.  

There's 3 more days left until Thanksgiving.

Signed,

RF

Give Thanks Day 18: BSA

Today I am thankful for the Boy Scouts of America.  This may come as no surprise as today happens to be a very important day in the life of one Boy Scout I am very close to.  My little brother, whom I often refer to as Tapeworm in these parts, had his Eagle Court of Honor today.  After all those years of merit badge and leadership work, of the past year of project planning and production, after everything he finally joined the Brotherhood of Eagle Scouts.  For those who may not be familiar with the Eagle Award, it is the Boy Scout's highest honor. The Eagle truly shows the dedication and character of the young man who earns it.

I am thankful for the Boy Scouts of America because of its history of strengthening and supporting young boys as they become young men and continue into adulthood.  I've seen my little brother grow from an awkward little boy with practically a speech impairment, to a handsome young man standing in front of at least a hundred people talking as naturally as can be.  I know the influence the fine leadership in his troop has had on him; he looks up to quite a few of his Boy Scout leaders.

It takes a village, or something along those lines, to raise a child.  So it's not just Boy Scouts who have shaped the young man my brother is today.  But I know for sure that it has had a huge impact on him.  I've seen the other boys who've left the troop when Boy Scouts wasn't cool enough.  My brother lost a number of friends over the years because of his involvement in Boy Scouts.  They didn't see the person my brother was to become.  The young man my brother is today is one of integrity and respect.  Sure he's a total goofball, but he knows what's what.  He has a good head on his shoulders.  He's following in the footsteps of the older scouts who have gone before him.

My brother has a lot ahead of him.  At the risk of sounding cliche, there's no substitute for character.  It's something that you either have or you don't.  It's something that can help you no matter what career you choose, no matter what job you have.  Well, thanks in part to Boy Scouts, my brother has character.

Thank you, Boy Scouts of America.

4 more days to Thanksgiving!

Signed,

RF

Give Thanks Day 17: America

I can't in good faith start today off without pointing out that darn elephant again.  He crops up so often, it's not funny anymore.  Not that it ever was... but I digress to more important matters.  Such as that feeling that many of my topics seem generic.  If there's anything I detest, it's being generic.  Plain.  Boring.  Zzzzz.  Point made.  The reason this came to mind was because I feel as if I've chosen yet another generic topic.

Today, I'm thankful for the United States of America.  That statement alone can be thought of as generic, over-used, and for most intents and purposes, meaningless.  It's the a watered down concept of America, which evokes such a generic feeling.  That concept is rife with drinking glasses stamped with the American flag (yet made in China) at the dollar store, cute ceramic cats festooned in flags and stars and (of course) glitter in mail order catalogs, t-shirts and visors and flip flops and, for the love of God, underwear even.  But they all seem to get in the way of what "America" means.

America isn't about the baby bib with its uneven stamp job that says "Proud to be an American" with a "Made in Indonesia" tag on the back.  It's not about the gimcracks and gewgaws.

I'm not saying it's bad to wear a hat or a t-shirt with the American flag on it.  Represent baby!  But know what you represent.  There's more to those stars and stripes than the smudged silk screen imprint or the chipped paint.  There's more to the statement "I'm thankful for the United States of America."

Today I am thankful for the spirit of America.  The spirit that I believe lies in every American's heart.  The spirit that empowers our soldiers, our public defenders, our leaders, and our citizens.  I'm thankful for the true spirit that shines through the commercialism.  I'm thankful for the country that protects the blessings that I have been thankful for by name these past few weeks, and the many many more blessings that I enjoy on a daily basis.

5 days until Turkey Day!

Cheers,

RF

Give Thanks Day 16: Teachers

Teachers, from kindergarten to graduate professors, have the ability to make or break a student.  We've all heard the rags to riches type stories where an empowered teacher reaches out to that one troubled kid and completely turns his or her life around.  Now, I don't have just one teacher that completely turned my life around but I have had a few teachers in my school career so far who had an impact on my life.  Today I'm thankful for those teachers.

1. My first grade teacher, Ms. H, was a vibrant ball of energy.  She was so animated in our lessons.  I learned to count to ten and memorized the months in Spanish.  I also learned the sign language alphabet from her.  Another thing I loved about Ms. H was her kindness.  I was one of those kids, the kind who cried at pretty much anything.  A girl stole my crayon once.  I cried.  A boy knocked my book off my desk.  I cried.  The last necklace in the prize bin that I had been eyeing for a whole week was tangled when I finally got enough green slips to earn it.  I cried.  Point made.  Ms. H was really patient through it all.  She was even patient when I mixed up the lost and found with her extra supply of notebooks.  In my defense, they had been there for a long time (okay a day) and no one seemed to be claiming them.  Why let perfectly good notebooks walk away like that?  Apparently that's what Ms. H thought when she discovered them.  She was totally cool about it though.  That had the potential to be super damaging.  Sigh.  Thank you Ms. H for being so kind and patient and loving.  
2. When I was in third grade, I had a teacher Mrs. R who was probably in her late fifties to early sixties.  I remember Mrs. R mostly because of the way she supported me when I came back to school after my mom got really sick over spring break.  It was a difficult few months, waiting for her to get out of the hospital and then my Nana, her mother, came to stay with us for a while.  Mrs. R was really comforting.  I remember her giving me a hug for seemingly no apparent reason.  She was also very understanding when I was continually bullied by this one kid and my mom asked for him to be switched out of my class.  She made sure we weren't in the same recess rotation anymore and that he didn't send me nasty notes via his little cronies.  Thank you Mrs. R for the support, I appreciate it more than you may know.  
3. I switched schools three times in elementary school.  By time I reached the fourth grade, I was tired of transitioning to a new place so often.  Mrs. M was always really calm, she rarely lost her temper (I honestly can't remember a time where she did, I just say rarely for practical purposes).  Mrs. M was also really petite, which has nothing to do with her teaching it just stood out to me because I towered over her.  She seemed so pretty and perfect and I wished I could be tiny and dainty like her.  I especially remember how she taught me to spell out "nowhere" and to remember how to spell "together."  The book Journey to Nowhere by Mary Jane Auch was instrumental in this process.  Mrs. M was also really big on structured reading time, where we would have to read on our own for a certain period of time everyday.  I loved it.  So thank you, Mrs. M, for your grace and your help.  
4. Mrs. P is my favorite teacher from my middle school years perhaps because of one day's events.  September 11, 2001 is not an easy day to forget.  It's also not easy to forget the teacher who first told my class what had happened.  On 9/11, I was the first kid Mrs. P let go to the counselor's office to call my parents.  Mrs. P was my bandage teacher; not because of 9/11 though but because I had her after I had Mr. L.  He once made me cry.  No matter how downtrodden, sad, or frustrated I looked or felt went I got to her class, Mrs. P always knew how to cheer me up.  Thank you Mrs. P for your empathy.  
5. Last but certainly not least is Mr. and Mrs. S.  In my small high school, it was not uncommon to have the same teacher different years for different subjects.  I had Mr. and Mrs. S for various English (Mrs. S) and History/International Studies classes (Mr. S).  Mr. and Mrs. S were also actively involved (and for a super long time ran) the small but mighty theatre group.  I spent a lot of time with the Ss, from class time, to extracurriculars, to school trips.  Since I graduated, we've still remained in contact.  I love visiting with them.  Thank you Mr. and Mrs. S for just being you and for teaching me how to write a proper essay.  Love you guys!

Well that wraps it up!  

5 days left until Thanksgiving!

Cheers,

RF

Give Thanks Day 15: College

Today I'm thankful for my education in general, but especially for the ability to go to college.  I've always loved the Nelson Mandela quote "Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world."  Maybe it's because I kind of want to kick butt, change the world, something like that.  Maybe it's because Nelson Mandela is a really cool cat.  Maybe it's D all of the above.

Lack of financial support, civil unrest, inadequate clothing, and other devastating factors prevent a large portion of the world's population from accessing even a basic level of education.  I am blessed to not only live in a country where I have a free education at my disposal through high school (okay, so technically it's not free, tax dollars help pay for it, but you get my point) but there's also an incredible amount of support out there for me to continue my education in college.

There are so many people who will only ever only dream of the blessings that I admit I can take for granted at times.  I'm ashamed that I don't always consider this; so often I get sidetracked by things that are rather irrelevant in the grand scheme of things.

Nevertheless, today I am truly thankful to be able to go to college.

Despite the fact that I haven't been that great at keeping up with daily posts (okay, I'm awful at it), this Give Thanks series really has helped me keep things in perspective.

7 Days to Thanksgiving!

Signed,

RF

Give Thanks Day 14: L High

Today I'm thankful for my old high school.  It's been a few years since I graduated, yes, but I still appreciate the experiences I had there.  

When I was in middle school, I went to a public school.  For the record, I am in no way talking smack against the public school system.  I think it is a valuable asset to society.  Towards the end of my eighth grade year, I found myself dreading more and more going to the public high school.  Let me rephrase that, I dreaded going to any high school with the group of bullies that had tormented me for a fair number of years.  I was done with the name calling, the teasing, the tripping, the commentary, the looks, etc.  Yes, I was a pudgy kid who wore baggy clothes and read books and had stinky shampoo (I admit that stuff was noxious) and who was completely inept in P.E. (physical exertion wasn't my thing).  That still didn't warrant the bullying.  By time high school was approaching, I decided I needed a switch.  I wanted to go to a different high school.  At that point, I would have gone to a school on Mars if it meant getting away from those kids.  We looked into another public high school (that is funnily enough closer to my house than the former) but there was something about it being difficult to switch because of zoning or something.  I don't remember why that didn't come through, but one day I was dinking around on the Internet and a light bulb moment hit me.  There was a high school affiliated with our church.  I'd heard about it before but until then hadn't thought to, well, check into it.  Not a month later we had a meeting at L High and the rest is history.  

Actually, the story only begins there.  See despite my desperation to get away from the previous class, I quickly realized that my former school had nevertheless been a comfort zone of sorts.  It was familiar to me.  Sure, I was harassed.  Sure I was the fat stinky misfit.  But I at least knew the place.  This new school wasn't much different at first.  Well, I didn't have the bullying problem anymore so that in and of itself was an improvement (and a big reason for going there in the first place).  I was still pudgy but I didn't stink anymore (I ditched that smelly shampoo).  I still felt like a misfit.  Hey, Rome wasn't built in a day, right?  Whatever, I was fairly miserable the first few weeks of high school.  I knew. no. one.  I hid in the bathroom at lunch (true story) to avoid the sitting dilemma (as I recounted previously, in a small school there simply isn't the option of sitting alone).  It's funny, I can remember all of this, but I don't remember exactly what it was that changed because certainly by the end of that first semester, I couldn't have dreamed of being anywhere else.  Okay, maybe Middle Earth, but that's a different story.  (I still hadn't completely kicked my Lord of the Rings obsession at that point).  I know that a monumental change came when I met one of my current best friends.  I was thankful for my friend Lakota earlier on this whole series business.  Well meeting her was instrumental in my transition phase at L High.  That one new friend gave me a whole new outlook at the school.  By Christmas break, I was bringing candy canes to hand out to friends.  Friends!  The most candy canes I had ever given out was maybe five at the absolute most (and that included my teachers).  That year, I think I bought two or three boxes.  The rest from there really is history.  

I played soccer my freshman and sophomore years.  I both loved and hated it.  I joined a teens for life group and stuck with that over the years.  I joined theatre my sophomore year (with a brief stint my freshman year when my three legged dog was a five dollar dog in a play and I was his chaperon at practices) and by time I graduated I was a Thespian and had acted in three plays.  I was in photography club, book club (of course), knit-wits (we knitted, don't judge me), and Harry Potter club (are you really that surprised?).  Most of all, by time I graduated, I had developed close relationships with a number of teachers and peers who I am still in contact with.  

So there it is, my ugly duckling story.  

8 more days to Thanksgiving!  

Signed,

RF

Give Thanks Day 13: My Church

Today I am thankful for my church.  Over the years it's been a very important part of my life.  I've been a member of the Lutheran church since I was baptized when I was 7.  Interesting factoid, not only do my brother and I have the same birthday we also have the same baptism day (is it bad that I don't remember when it is though? I fail).  Anyways, I've essentially grown up with this church.  I have fond memories of Confirmation in 7th and 8th grade.  There was a t-ping incident that I may or may not have been involved in at one of the Confirmation camps... Ahem.  I also participated in mission trips over the years, from Mexico to East St. Louis to various Habitat for Humanity projects.

It's the people at my church that makes it a special place.  We have a pair of amazing pastors, a strong pastoral staff, and truly wonderful laypeople.  We're especially close to our family group, as I talked about on Sunday, but there are so many faces that I love to see on Sundays.  They're the people who were in Confirmation with me or helped lead and support it, the people who went on those mission trips, whether in the U.S. or abroad, they're the people who I went to school with and looked up to over the years.

My church is a place I feel connected to.  I feel like I belong there.  There have been changes over the years, sure, that I haven't always been a fan of.  But overall, it is still a place for God's people.  It's still the place I've known for so long and love so much.

9 Days to Thanksgiving!

Signed,

RF

Give Thanks Day 12: Family

I've spent a few of these days with this blog series expressing how thankful I am for various family members and friends.  Today I am thankful for my entire family.  I believe that blood relation isn't the only kind of family.  I have seen the love between adoptive parents and their children.  I have seen and known love between friends that is as strong as that of siblings.  My family means the world to me.

Family is something, I feel, that people so often seem to take for granted.  We can lose sight of what is really important in life as we're engrossed in the day to day craziness that seems to never stop.  People wish upon stars perhaps because of the magic that seems to surround the idea that a star can make a wish come true.  I find the holiday season to be just as magical.  My wish on this holiday season is that people in general would come to really appreciate the love in their lives.  There was no greater thing that God gave His children than to love Him and to love one another.

Today I am thankful for the love of family.  It's more important than having a flashy car or a big house or the latest clothes or a high paying job or any material asset; these things are impermanent, they can come and go as unexpectedly as a thunderstorm.  Love is something that lasts, however.  It is a fundamental part of life.  So go hug a family member or friend!

10 Days to Thanksgiving!

Signed,
RF

Give Thanks Day 11: Family Group

Today I am thankful for a Sunday night family group that I am blessed to be a part of.  For a year now (excluding Summer holiday), a group of families from my church have gathered at the H family's house for dinner and fellowship on Sunday evenings.  It's essentially a big potluck that we have every week.  I think everyone wants to have a sense of belonging somewhere, a comfort zone if you will.  For my mom, brother, and me that's what we have found in this family group.

A little over a year ago, Mr. and Mrs. H invited the three of us to come to their house on Sunday evenings that fall for dinner and to discuss the book "The Hole in Our Gospel" by Richard Stearns.  As I understand, at the time the plan was to see how well the arrangement worked out and the group would go from there as to whether or not to continue meeting.  There were a number of other families invited as well, most of whom I at least recognized but probably hadn't said much more than a hello to before at church.  The Sunday night bible study quickly grew in importance to us.  It became something we looked forward to each Sunday.  We got to know the families in our group better and looked forward to seeing them at church.  Where we are today, the amount of love and support each of us has for one another confirms to me that God truly placed the H family and their plans for this family group in our lives for a reason.  

Mrs. H related to me how they came to asking the three of us in the first place last year.  I hadn't given it much thought as to why they had, only that I was glad of it.  Sometime last Summer, Mr. and Mrs. H's daughter K and I were chatting after church.  K and I knew had known each other over the years from various church and school activities.  My mom and brother were getting ready to go on a week long mission trip and K asked me what my plans were while they were away.  I must have made a comment something to the effect that I would be home by myself, because she asked where my Dad was.  At that point, my Dad hadn't been coming home for a number of months and my parents were in the process of getting a divorce.  This wasn't exactly common knowledge at the time and K related to her mother about the situation.  One thing led to another and as Mr. and Mrs. H were thinking and praying about the family group they hoped to start, they both thought to invite the three of us. 

I truly believe that God knew we were going to have some rough waters ahead.  He knew we would need support and He sent that support to us through the H family and the other families involved in our family group.  I am so very thankful for their presence in our lives.  I love them all dearly. 

11 Days to Thanksgiving!

Signed,

RF

Give Thanks Day 10: Chelsea

Today I'm thankful for my cat, Chelsea.  Yes, that's right.  I'm thankful for my cat.  Don't judge me.

She looks so thrilled.

Back in the day, I wanted a kitten like none other.  I read every. single. book I could get my hands on about cats and kittens.  I literally exhausted the library at my elementary school on cat books.  I had to check out ones I'd already read, I ran out of new ones.  So the day or so after I finished kindergarten, my parents loaded me and my brother up in the family van and off we trekked to meet a friend of my mom's.  This friend had a cat, Sneakers, who recently had a litter of kittens.  And yes, they were looking for homes.  We met the lady at a gas station and there she had two female kittens to choose from.  I immediately picked up the first one I could catch.  She had grey paws and was absolutely adorable.  Well, Grey Paws promptly bit/scratched me (it's possible it was just a hiss, but it didn't matter) and down she went.  I chose White Paws instead.  I held her in my lap on the way home.  I had especially picked a baby blanket that had belonged to me and tucked her into it so she would feel safe.  She whined the first week or so at night, so I slept on my floor (I had a loft bed which was kind of a no go for such a tiny kitty).  From the get go, I adored that little thing.  And little she was.  She was so tiny she fit under my dresser (not even two inches at the tallest point) and in the palm of my mom's hands.  She was a. d. o. r. a. b. l. e.

Now Chelsea went through quite a lot growing up with me.  She got bathed at arbitrary intervals.  She was periodically (okay quite often) subjected to wearing doll clothes.  I tried to walk her once in my neighborhood on a leash (needless to say that didn't go over so well).  It's no wonder that she's a crazy cat.  She once knocked over a miniature doll house; the roof fell clean off.  It's still in my basement.  

Elephant in the room moment: all this talk of dolls and dolls dresses and doll houses makes me sound like an incredibly girly individual.  Let me dispel these nasty rumors by emphasizing that it was a phase. A very dark time in my life, if you please.  Very sensitive.  

Ahem.  So in short, I've grown up with this cat.  I love her to death.  She's been given a number of nicknames from my friends over the years, most of them to the tune of "demon cat."  In her defense, Chelsea is a cranky old coot who is very set in her ways.  And in the people she likes.  Which most of the time is just Tapeworm.  Though every now and then she'll pretend she likes me too.  I suspect my big comfy bed has something to do with it though.  

What's not to love?

12 more days to Thanksgiving!

Signed,

RF

Give Thanks Day 9: Karate

Today I am thankful for the karate school I attend.  I walk out of there on regular basis sweaty, stinky, and just plain not fun to look at.  It's great.

For security reasons, I'm not naming any names, but part of what makes this particular karate school so wonderful is the amazing people.  Seriously, these people are awesome.  I love them.  I love the feeling of being a "family."  In a way, we are.  I love spending time with the other students and the instructors.  There is a wide range in our ages, ability levels, and interests, but we all have karate in common.  We also respect immensely our Sensei.  I honestly can't think of a person who I have more respect for, and I feel fairly confident that I'm not alone in this.

I know I haven't even begun to understand karate.  I know I have tons of work to do.  I know that there's always something to do better, always something to learn.  In a way, I love that open book concept.  You never stop learning in life, and karate is the same way.  I can't imagine my life without it.  I've had concerns as I consider what lies ahead of me after I graduate from college.  Most of my extended family lives in the Northeastern part of the country.  I do believe my mother and brother also intend to migrate that way at some point in the near future.  I don't know where I'm going to be in five years, but I sincerely hope that I can keep training at this school.  I know of a family who recently moved away from the area and they've had a really difficult time finding a new karate school.  This one is truly one of a kind.  It's the people, especially our Sensei, who makes it that way. 

13 Days to Thanksgiving!

Signed,

RF

Give Thanks Day 8: Our Veterans

Today I'm thankful for our Veterans.  I can't describe the amount of pride I feel when I see an American flag waving.  Whether it's flying over a bank or my angel Grandpa's house or draped over the coffin of a fallen hero, the stars and stripes evoke in me a deep sense of love and respect.  


From  a very young age I recall being very patriotic.  I've always felt an immense sense of pride for my country.  I believe having both parents serve in the Navy, as well as the history my extended family has with the military, influenced this passion.  


Of all the things about this country that I'm proud of, I'm most proud of our Veterans.  I can't pretend to imagine the sacrifice our veterans have given throughout the years.  The living and the fallen heroes know this sacrifice.  

I created this for a media project for Veteran's Day 2008

Abraham Lincoln had an amazing way of capturing the spirit of this country.  His Gettysburg Address applies to many things, but his dedication to the living and fallen heroes has always been particularly powerful for me.  

"Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate -- we can not consecrate -- we can not hallow -- this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth." -Abraham Lincoln

God Bless our Veterans.  

14 Days to Thanksgiving!

Signed

RF

Give Thanks Day 7: My Uncle

Today I'm thankful for my Uncle T.

We don't get to see him very often (as he lives in New York), but the times we get to visit I wouldn't trade for the world.  In short, he's a total goofball.  Which is probably why Tapeworm and I get along with him so well!

Recently, he flew Tapeworm and I up to NY for a visit.  We went to festivals and a hayride.  We even saw a historic haunted house.  It was a blast.  The leaves this time of year in upstate New York are gorgeous.  They're especially enjoyable when driving around town in a Dodge Challenger!  I might add that when I was out over the summer, he lent me the Challenger to drive the three hours or so out to visit my Mom's parents.  That's right, I got the Challenger for the day.  My life is complete.

Isn't it beautiful?  Ahem.  

Uncle T has worked hard to keep my Grandpa E's house that he inherited.  I'm so grateful for the commitment he has for the family fort, the old blue house.  

My Uncle is someone who truly cares about his family.  He knows what's important in life.  We don't have a huge family, but each member is so special in their own way; my Uncle is no exception to this.  I'm so thankful for having him in my life.

The week of this Thanksgiving also coincides with Tapeworm's Eagle Court of Honor ceremony.  Uncle T plans on visiting for the week to celebrate both occasions.  Like I said, we don't see one another very often, but the times we do we cherish.  Let the festivities begin!

15 Days to Thanksgiving!

Signed,

RF

Give Thanks Day 6: My Grandpa E

Today I'm thankful for my angel Grandpa E.  I love him and miss him dearly.  I look up to him and am so proud to call him my Grandpa.  

It's been a little over four months since my Grandpa left us.  He'd been sick off and on over the past couple of years, yes, but I never expected my phone conversation with him the Wednesday of the week we were due to drive up to celebrate his 76th birthday and the 4th of July to be my last.  I wish I could remember every detail of that phone call.  I do recall that I wished him a happy birthday and he laughed his deep, rattling laugh that started somewhere in his stomach.  We talked about how I was sure that I wanted to join the Navy after I finish my Bachelor's degree.  He sounded happy.  I also told him that I was thinking about getting a motorcycle.  That prompted another deep laugh.  We bid goodbye, I told him I love him and he said, "you too, kiddo."  

We got a phone call about eight hours into our drive to New York that weekend.  I was driving.  My mom was in the backseat with my brother.  I had a feeling that something was wrong; I turned down my music and watched my mom's expression turn into shock in the rear view mirror.  All she told me was to get off at the next exit.  She waited until we were parked in the back of a Burger King parking lot to tell us that Grandpa had died sometime the previous night in his sleep.  In a word, we were devastated.  The remainder of the drive was nothing short of misery.  We cried a lot.  We switched drivers often, to accommodate for the vision problems associated with the crying.  

My Grandpa left us too soon.  We had plans to go on a family trip to Ireland, to visit where his family came from.  He was looking forward to coming to see us this fall when my brother got his Eagle Award.  My brother's high school graduation is coming up, and my college graduation shortly thereafter.  I wanted him present for my commissioning into the Navy.  

This Christmas is going to be a difficult one.  There's a big hole in our family.  In a way, despite the sadness, I'm still thankful.  I'm thankful that we all have such fond memories of my Grandpa, that he left us with such a hole because that shows how amazing of a person he was.  I'll always remember him and his deep, infectious laugh.  I know he'll be watching at my brother's Eagle Ceremony and his graduation.  I know he'll be watching when I graduate from college and get commissioned into the Navy.  I know he's with all of us, and we'll see him again someday.  

In my Grandpa's words, let's put eggs in our shoes and beat it!

16 Days to Thanksgiving.

Signed,

RF

Give Thanks Day 5: My Brother

Today I am thankful for my goofball brother.  He's a great kid (er, soon to be adult) and I'm so proud of him.

Most children on their third birthday get toys or maybe clothes.  I'm sure I got those things as well, but I also got a little brother.  This is a concept that is remarkably difficult to explain to other people.  Some don't seem to understand that yes we have the same birthday, but no we're not twins, yes that is possible, no we're not lying so we can both get free ice cream.  Sheesh.

Growing up, I didn't know too many sibling pairs that got a long too well (some I knew of absolutely loathed each other)  but for some reason after Tapeworm and I got past elementary school (those were dark days, I tell you) we actually enjoyed spending time with each other.  Maybe it was the together-ness of our childhood that made us so close.  In addition to having the same birthday and thus combined family parties (can you blame them?), we spent a lot of time (I emphasize a lot) on the road back and forth to that old blue house in New York.  Perhaps it was forced company, or that our parents would have probably dropped us off at a rest stop and left us there if they had to deal with bickering kids for fourteen hours, either way we've grown up fairly close.

It's only been in the past few years that I've realized just how much I appreciate the relationship I have with my brother, he's one of my best friends.  I love our random conversations and just hanging out together.  I also love our shenanigans.  Recently we were walking out of Target and decided to skip to the car (is that really that surprising?) so we did.  And people were staring at us.  And laughing.  I think I commented something to that effect that people were laughing at us.  Without missing a beat, both of us said, "It wouldn't be the first time."  Yeah, brain twins.

Tapeworm and I also have a lot of interests in common, which might account for the sibling bond thing.  I've never been the super girly type, at least not since I was really little and Tapeworm used my barbies as guns (don't ask).  Anywho, we're both fans of being outdoors.  Camping, biking, you name it.  We have a healthy interest in classic cars (if one is spotted on the road, it effectively halts any conversation we're in for the purposes of drooling), guns, and anything that involves explosives (*pyromaniac gleam*).  Also, if you know either of us, you probably know that karate is slightly important to us.  And when I say slightly, I mean it's like number three after sleeping and eating.  Yeah, it basically rocks.  We get quite the *kick* out of practicing on each other whether it's in class or at home (do you get my joke? kick? ha? yeah I fail).

I said Tapeworm is a great kid before, and I wasn't lying.  I'm really proud of him.  It's been cool to see him grow from being a goofy little kid to being a remarkably responsible young man (okay he's still a goofball, but that's not such a bad thing).  He earned his Eagle Scout rank this year in Boy Scouts, which is Boy Scout lingo for the highest honor you can get in the scouting world.  He was awarded the Eagle mentor pin at another boy from his troop's Eagle ceremony recently.  Wait, my crazy brother a role model?  While that might strike a note of concern, I know he's earned it.  He's a great person and he's going places.

So whether we're just chilling and watching Chronicles of Riddick, beating on each other, or preparing for the Zombie apocalypse (it's coming), I know my bro and me got each other's backs.  I couldn't have asked for a better little brother.  Love ya, man.

Oh ho, 17 Days to Thanksgiving!

Signed,
RF

Give Thanks Day 4: My Mom

Today I'm thankful for my Mom.  She's an amazing person and I'm so blessed to have her in my life.

When I was little, my Mom would read to me every night before I went to sleep.  Every.  Night.  One of the books, the fairly popular  Love You Forever by Robert Munsch, had a poem that she used to say to both my brother and me quite often:

I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always

As long as I'm living, my baby you'll be

Well, just like the little boy in the book, I've grown and grown.  I'm not a little girl anymore, but I'll always be my Mom's baby.  As I've grown, I've learned a lot more from her than just how to tie my shoes or drive a car.  I look up to her not just as my mother, but also as a woman.  

I've learned how valuable it is for a woman to be strong in her own right.  For a woman to gain an education and be able to support herself.  For a woman to be a complete person, not dependent on a man for her sole happiness and well being.  

From time to time, my Mom and I have clashed.  Okay quite a lot, especially when I was in high school.  While things have evened out as I've gotten more mature, we still butt heads every now and then.  But I wouldn't trade any of our arguments for anything in the world.  

I  love spending time with my Mom, whether it's going out for lunch or just hanging out at home.  I love curling up with her to watch the latest episode of Cake Boss or America's Next Top Model.  

I suppose it's a fact of life that women grow to look like their mothers.   I can't say how many times I've had someone tell me how much I look like my Mom.  We went somewhere recently where a waiter or someone said that we must be mother and daughter because he could see the resemblance.  

Things haven't always been exactly easy in our family. We've had our fair share of troubles, but my Mom has always been the rock, the one to say "yeah, that sucks," pick herself up, and move on.  Her strength is inspirational.

My Mom has always been supportive of the things my brother and I do.  She's always been actively involved in our activities from leading Boy and Girl Scout committees and troops to coming to almost every Karate practice.  She's always there for us.  

I wish I could fully express how much I am thankful for my Mom.  When I was 9 years old, she got very sick.  We were in New York at the time and she had to go to the hospital.  My brother stayed in the waiting room while they brought me back to see her.  She was white as a ghost and hooked up to all kinds of machines.  It was terrifying.  Fortunately she pulled through and is as healthy as ever today, but I got a taste of just how scary it would be to lose her.  I'm even more thankful for her because of that experience.  

I hope she knows how much of an impact she's had on my life.  I am the woman I am today and will be in the future because of her.  I could never thank her enough.

Dear Mom,

I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always

As long as I'm living, my Mommy you'll be

Love, your baby girl

18 Days to Thanksgiving!

Signed,

RF

Give Thanks Day 3: Friendship

Today I am thankful for friendship.  

The past two days I've been thankful for specific people and the blessings they are in my life.  Today I'm thankful for all the people I've known throughout my life.  The way I see it, there are many different kinds of people in a person's life.  Sure there's the ones who stick around forever, they are the non-blood family I've talked about before.  Many more, however, may only be in a person's life for a short period of time.  It can be a few months, like some of the people I met at my first university, or it could be a couple of years, like some of my high school friends.

Each person who touches your life leaves a mark.  Rarely, if ever, we see what that mark is, though we can speculate (which I have and will).  I know that each person I've had the honor of knowing, however short of a time, contributes to who I am today.  I also think that there are certain people who might bring out traits already within a person.  They might give them a different perspective on something or an idea about how to use their talents.

I know I've been inspired to worry less, love more, appreciate my family, stand up for what I believe in, write, never take life for granted, and stay grounded in what really matters.  I also know there are countless other ways I've been influenced by the people I've known.  

Now, I said that even people I've known for a short period of time have had an impact on my life. There's two people I've been thinking about recently who've had a huge impact on me lately.  Both of these people I knew only briefly and both of them are no longer with us.  

One of them sadly took her own life.  I can't pretend to know the demons one must face when suicide seems to be the only way out, but her death has taught me many things.  I've seen the outpouring from her closest friends.  Her memorial page has hundreds of members.  Her funeral service was huge.  I wonder if she knew just how many people loved and cared for her.  I've learned to keep things in perspective more.  I think about her often and hope her family and close friends are doing okay.  

The other died recently from injuries sustained in a car accident.  There were so many people who rallied around his family while he was in the ICU.  Letters of love and support flooded his website.  The funeral was, understandably, heart wrenching.  I wish I had the ability to express exactly how I feel about this, but it's still relatively new.  I'm heartbroken for his family, who we've known for some time now.  I'm heartbroken for his close friends.  I'm heartbroken for the people he helped through his extracurricular work.  Most of all, I'm heartbroken for him.  I wish he could have lived longer.  I've learned more to never doubt what I can do and to be everything I can be--I'm alive and here for a reason.  When there are others who don't even have that chance, it would be a terrible shame for me to waste what I have.  

I won't ever forget these two wonderful people.  They were gone too soon.  It's not always a cheerful thing, the lessons we learn from the people we know.  Sometimes we learn difficult lessons and truths about life.  But I have to believe it's all worth it, in the end.  

19 Days to Thanksgiving.

Signed,

RF

Give Thanks Day 2: Lakota

Today I am thankful for my dear friend Lakota.  I love how we're brain twins, even when we live two states away. 

Lakota and I met in our freshman year of high school.  I had just transferred from public to private school.  Logically, the gap between middle and high school was a perfect time for the transition.  Right?  Wrong.  It was awful.  I didn't know anyone.  No joke, I spent at least the first week hiding in the bathroom at lunch to avoid the sitting situation.  In such a small school, not only did I not know anyone and thus have no one to sit with I couldn't even sit alone.  I had to sit with other people, there wasn't enough space to sit alone.  This prompted a whole slew of awkward situations for me.  Everyone seemed to already know each other. Well, they did.  They'd all practically been together since they popped out of the womb.  Suffice it to say, it was a difficult transition.

At some point in the first two weeks of high school there was a pep rally and each class had to sit in their designated sections.  Earlier that day, in a communication class, there was a girl who I noticed and instantly admired.  She was petite, had very dark hair, and even darker eyes.  She was wearing a blouse I can only describe as a "cow girl" blouse.  All I remember about what we were talking about in class was that this girl said she was part Indian.  I was fascinated, her dark features seemed to confirm this story.  When I asked what tribe, her answer forever earned her nickname: Lakota Sioux.  Then she noticed that I had a picture of Orlando Bloom on my binder.  I doubt I need to elaborate further.  

When the bell rang and it was time to go to the pep rally, I was nervous again.  I decided right then and there that I hated pep assemblies.  Twice in one day this seating conundrum?  Really?   I once again didn't know who to sit with, and hiding in the bathroom wasn't a feasible option.  So I followed Lakota. 

I kept thinking, she seems nice maybe she'll let me sit with her.  As we crossed the gymnasium, she turned and asked with curiosity, "Aren't the juniors sitting over there?" 

I just happen to be a rather tall individual which explains Lakota's confusion.  I was a freaking tall freshman.  Once my class identity was established, I joined Lakota with a group of girls she seemed to know.  I don't remember what that assembly was about.  I just remember feeling much more at ease with my new school.  

Well the Native American/Orlando Bloom conversation happened a good seven or so years ago now.  I can't even begin to describe all that has transpired between us since.  I doubt we could be any more alike yet different at the same time.  In short, it's been a blast and I'm thankful for every minute of it.  

Interestingly enough, with my two closest friends I also feel close with their families.  I guess I have multiple sets of parents.  Lakota, her parents, and I have gone on multiple shooting range adventures.  When I wanted to learn to shoot a gun better and my own father was either too busy or not around to take me, Lakota's dad stepped in.  Lakota's parents even got me my own gun cleaning kit this year for my birthday; it's beautiful and I use it every time after I go shooting.  I'm eternally grateful for Lakota's family's love and kindness towards me.  

Speaking of my birthday,  this past year, Belle and Lakota threw me a surprise birthday party.  Boy was I surprised!  Easily one of my most memorable b-days.  

The way I see it, blood isn't the only kind of family.  A part of my family is my closest friends.  I'm so grateful for them, the beauty and happiness they bring to my life.  

Cheers!  20 Days to Thanksgiving! 

Signed,

RF

Tomorrow When The War Began

The Tomorrow When The War Began book series by Australian author John Marsden was my favorite before I ever read a single Harry Potter book.  That's right, there was a time in my life when Harry Potter did not exist.  Dark times, I tell you.  But rest assured, those dark days of my existence were not entirely as bleak as one might think.

For my fellow Americans who haven't experienced the joy of the Tomorrow series, I feel honor bound to summarize.  

Tomorrow When The War Began is the first in a series of seven books chronicling the experience of a small Australian town invaded by a very large and powerful military intent on taking over as much of their land and resources as possible. 

In the series a group of teenagers, including the books' narrator, take a camping trip over their Christmas holiday.  When they return home, they find their homes abandoned and their families missing.  They soon learn the shocking truth about the invasion and come face to face with the question: surrender, hide, or fight?  When they choose to fight, they begin to function as guerrilla soldiers and attempt to reclaim their home and their lives.  It's a fast paced, gut wrenching sort of story.  I get the sweats thinking about it.  Marsden really captures the voice of his characters and brings them to life.  These books make me want to kick down a door.  

The American Library Association has listed the first book in the series as one of the best one-hundred books for teenage readers published between 1966 and 2000.  I think this really speaks for itself.  I highly recommend any and everyone to read these books.  They're timeless, in my opinion, and they're phenomenal.

Now I am generally pretty faithful to the book when a film adaptation is made, but each one I hear about rekindles hope that the film will at least do the book justice.  This book series is one that I have for years desperately wished to see made into a film, but by the same token desperately hoped that they won't mess it up.  I joined a Facebook group campaigning the creation of such a film.  I popped around Aussie chat-rooms hoping to catch some down-under gossip about the possibility.  Finally, finally I tell you, I caught wind of the news.  It was a glorious day when I learned that not only was the book to be made into a film, but a major Australian film company had picked it up and were pulling all the stops.  Just what such a great story deserved, in my opinion.  Furthermore, I read that due to the pride many Australians feel over such a successful book series from one of their own, the director was said to make every effort to stick to the book as closely as possible.  Psyched didn't even begin to describe me.

To my intense dismay, however, the film is so authentically Australian it's not even being released in the U.S.  Not yet, at any rate.  The film premiered in September in Australia.  I made farfetched day dreams that involved flying to Australia to see the film.  I read through every scrap I could find about the film online.  It still sounds like it's a film well worth seeing.

My plan for the interim is to order the film off of perhaps Amazon once it's available.  My ultimate wish is for the film to be released to U.S. theaters, but apparently the U.S. response to the book hasn't been that high.  Silly Americans.  Oh if I read one more American article or comment about how TWTWB is just an Aussie version of Red Dawn, I am going to lose it... okay, I digress.

I guess I'll just have to settle for the trailer and my hunt to find the Aussie editions of the books.  Let me tell you, they're not easy to come by.  At least the UK version of Harry Potter was sold in a set... On the bright side, I have a mission to accomplish while I wait for updates on my chances of actually seeing the film.  

Cheers!

Signed,

RF

Give Thanks Day 1: Belle

To kick off my Give Thanks trend, I'd like to dedicate today to my friend Belle.  She's been giving thanks each day via Facebook status and her dedication today really warmed my heart.  "Today I'm thankful for my bestie Running Fish and our many many trips to El Maguey."  Maybe it was because I was super tired this morning, but when I saw that it really made my day.

Today, I'm thankful for the wonderful friend I have in Belle and all the years we've shared together.  It's friendships like hers that make life extra special. 

Belle and I haven't always been friends, however.  Actually, we were quite the opposite of friends in the first years of knowing one another.  

Back in the day, Belle and I wound up in the same Junior Girl Scouts troop by process of troop consolidation (i.e. my troop disappeared and my Mom plugged me into a new one).  Let's just say we didn't get along too well from the get go, which is putting it mildly.  In recent years we've discussed this quite a bit and the consensus is we were both going through our issues and for one reason or another we both identified the other as a threat.  Mind you, we were sixth graders at that point.  I was the new girl, invading the troop that Belle had been in forever.  And she was the "it" girl, the one who all the girls liked and the one who I wanted to be.  She was pretty.  She was popular.  She was everything I felt I wasn't.  Like I said, we each had our own issues and that was part of mine.  This didn't bode too well for a harmonious relationship.  There were a lot of mean words exchanged, an incident where one of us threw play-dough at the other (this was a lot bigger of  deal than it sounds, trust me), and just general contention.

By the end of seventh grade, I begged my mother to let me quit Girl Scouts.  I was that miserable with Belle.  I'm sure she was pretty miserable with me too, in hindsight.  I wish I had committed to memory just what my mom said to me to make me stay, but I suspect it had something to do with her mentality that if you commit to something you see it through the end.  Whatever it was that convinced me to stick around, I accompanied the troop on a trip to Branson that fall.  The trip was a big deal and we'd been saving for a long time for it.  The second night found us surprisingly without incident.  Belle and I hadn't murdered each other.  And we were sleeping in the same tent, to boot.  Clearly there was a higher power already at work.  That night, after our mothers had told us at least half a dozen times to go to sleep, the four of us girls finally started settling in.  We'd been chatting, the usual stuff young girls talk about.  There was one of the girls, we discovered, that suffice it to say had some problems.  Before we went to sleep, Belle sat up and asked me if I wanted to pray with her about our fellow troop-mate who was having such a hard time.

Now, I've heard my fair share of cliche stories where divine intervention happened through prayer.  Trust me, there wasn't any rapturous singing to be heard or heaven opening up or any other supernatural occurrence.  We just sat there and prayed.  Silently.

After that trip, Belle and I started to realize we actually had a lot in common.  I guess the rest is history because today I'm nominating her as someone I'm thankful for.  I'm also thankful for her wonderful family.  Her parents and sister treat me like another part of their family.  I love them.

On that happy note, it's 21 Days to Thanksgiving!  Cheers!

Signed,

RF

Give Thanks

There are three weeks (and counting) to the big day.  That is, the day of turkey and the fancy china and relatives from out of state.

Thanksgiving marks the onset of the "holiday season."  Yes, it's that time of year again.  For many people, this means there are two more weeks to mentally (and physically) prepare.  There will be list making and attic searching.  Budget crunching and the perfect tree to locate.  Leaves to rake and vacation (or stay-cation as the case may be) plans to make.  Santas will take up residence at malls nationwide. Sign-ups for Salvation Army bell ringing will crop up and those jingling bells even more so.  Charities will come out of the woodwork.  If you're ambitious, there's the family newsletter/holiday greeting card.  Holiday music will filter through the radio in the car, at the grocery, in the elevator at the doctor's office.  Weight may be a concern and the threat of overeating exacerbates that.  Oreo icing will turn to red (speaking of overeating).  In the hustle and bustle of preparing for the looming holiday season it's very easy to forget the small things.

I'll be the first to admit that I don't need the excuse of the holiday season to distract me.  It's so easy to become engrossed in the day to day and week to week craziness of life that we often forget to stay grounded in what really matters.

This idea motivated me to make a commitment beginning today until Thanksgiving.  Instead of worrying about the impending holiday season and the rush that comes with it, I want to spend more time thinking about what I'm thankful for and dedicating each day of the next two weeks to a different thing I'm thankful for.  It's the things we're truly thankful for, such as our family and friends, that truly give the holidays that sense of beauty and joy.

On a personal note, I've recognized that this holiday season might be a tad disheartening for my family.  After the rather unexpected loss of my dear Grandpa N, Christmas just isn't going to be the same again.  Those "firsts" without the ones we lose are often the hardest.  Throw in the rest of the amazing story that is my family dynamic and I can already see how I've got to make sure I keep myself grounded.  I think this is by and large the main reason why I've decided to really take this on, if nothing else but for my own emotional health.  I know I have so much to be thankful for, I'm very blessed in my life and it would be a shame for me to lose sight of that.

I'll go ahead and single out that incessant elephant in the room... We should really be thankful at all times for what we are blessed with, not just at special occasions.  The twice a year thankful heart doesn't make for a happy person, if you ask me.  No, I just really feel like I want to do this.  No implications attached.

With that being said, here's to giving thanks.  Here's to staying focused on what really matters.  Here's to being thankful for all the blessings that life has to offer.  They're the stuff that make life worth living.

Cheers!

Signed,
RF